The Freshman Diary of Tatewaki Kuno
by Red Dragonfly
Summary: Nabiki has gotten a hold of Kuno's old diary and sits down to read it one rainy day. It seems that before Kuno met Akane, there was another girl on his mind. Kuno x Nabiki.
1. Copyright, Etc

**The Freshman Diary of Tatewaki Kuno**

By **Red Dragonfly**, aka **Rebecca Lang**

"_Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds…."_

Summary: Nabiki has gotten a hold of Kuno's old diary and sits down to read it one rainy day. It seems that before Kuno met Akane, there was another girl on his mind. Kuno x Nabiki.

**Table of Contents**

Spring and Summer

Intermission

Fall and Winter

**Copyright**: Although Rumiko Takahashi would probably be horrified by my demented interpretations of her characters, they do, nonetheless, still belong to her.

**Central Premise**: Have you ever noticed how hostile Tatewaki Kuno is towards Nabiki Tendo, especially at the very beginning of the series? I find this strange, given that Tatewaki seems to function under the illusion that all women are innocent maidens who find him irresistible. Yet, he has never once maintained this illusion with any conviction towards Nabiki. Why do you think that is?

**Author's Note**: You know, I can't help but feel that Kuno and Nabiki might have been relatively normal people before Ranma came along and plunged the universe into over-the-top chaos. And I've always wondered about their past relationship. So, please allow me to indulge myself with this brief, little fanfiction. It's not funny or romantic or all that insightful. But enter with low expectations and you shouldn't be too disappointed.


	2. Spring and Summer

**The Freshman Diary of Tatewaki Kuno**

By **Red Dragonfly**, aka **Rebecca Lang**

**. . .**

Part 1

**Spring and Summer**

**. . .**

**. . .**

Rain rapped steadily across the windowpane. Nabiki sighed and plopped onto her bed. Sunday afternoons were always boring, and this one especially so, given that Ranma and Akane had gone off and deprived the household of their loving and endlessly amusing bickering. For once, peace and quiet reigned.

Nabiki was running out of excuses not to sit down and do her homework.

She leaned over across the bedspread, until she was looking at her desk where her books lay piled in a neat stack. English. What a boring subject. Anything was better than that. Her black purse dangled off the back of her chair, fat and bulky, like a raincloud attached to a thin strap.

There was one thing she might do that promised to be more interesting than conjugating "to be" verbs. Nabiki reached for her purse and fished inside it until her hand hit the soft binding of a notebook. Smiling, she drew out Kuno's diary.

You know, considering how obsessed he was with fine arts and poetry and all that, she'd have expected his diary to have more dignity. Instead, it was a spiral bound, plastic-y thing, with a couple tulips and a swirly sun—one of those notebooks you'd get at a 100 yen store. Inside, though, seemed more like Kuno. His neat calligraphy swooped over the cheap paper in dark, clear strokes.

_I shall never forget the feeling of destiny that swelled in my chest as I entered the halls of Furinkan Senior High School. I, Tatewaki Kuno, age 16—_

Age 16? What the—? Nabiki checked the date. Freshman year? How far back did this thing go? She flipped through the pages. The diary ended right before their junior year began. Well, darn. A more recent diary might have been slightly more pertinent to her interests. Nabiki shrugged. Oh well. It was still better than English.

_I, Tatewaki Kuno, age 16, am destined to become the shining star of this school. And why not? I have all that is necessary to ensure my rise: good looks, fierce athletic ability, devastating wit, a modest and pleasant personality. Maidens swoon at the very sight of me, and soon I shall select from amongst the loveliest, one who is worthy of dating. _

_A privilege that most certainly will not fall to Nabiki Tendo. _

Nabiki's eyebrows rose. Weird. It wasn't like she'd been begging for a date, so why'd he mention her at all? She skimmed down and noticed that her name was peppered liberally in the paragraph below.

_Nabiki Tendo is a relic from my junior high school days. Nabiki Tendo is cruel and ruthless. Nabiki Tendo glistens like the coils of a snake and hides venom in her tongue. As she proved today, when, upon swaggering into our homeroom class, she took one look at me and promptly burst into laughter. So much did she laugh, that I, with the blood rising to my cheeks, demanded to know what was so funny._

_"You're the hot new guy all the girls are talking about? You?"_

_And why on earth was that worthy of laughter? Is Nabiki Tendo blind that she fails to see what a magnificent specimen I now pose? _

_She seemed blind our final year of junior high. By that time my hair had grown out from that hideous shave my father forced upon me and I had risen in stature and had gained the muscled build of a kendo master. All the other girls who had once tormented me about my appearance now conceded, with tearfully apology, that I was indeed handsome, strong, and worthy of praise. _

_But Nabiki will not relent and even today proceeds to mock me without remorse. Observe then, these next words she uttered, when I pointed out the indignity of her laughter:_

_"Oh, relax, Kuno-baby. You take everything so seriously."_

_Kuno-baby! Am I never to be rid of that insulting nickname? _

_As a single cloud might obstruct the sun, so has Nabiki Tendo diminished the glory of my entrance. Had she simply acknowledged my hard-won splendor, I might have forgiven her those three years of torment. But now her chance is lost. Nabiki Tendo, you shall forever be my one true enemy._

Wow. Who'd have thought one little laugh and a couple of off-the-cuff comments could inspire such feeling? Nabiki smiled to herself. That was Kuno, for you, always overreacting. It wasn't that she thought he was ugly. He was just so preening, like a rooster with his tail feathers sticking out—she couldn't help but laugh.

And as for the nickname, well, really, what was she supposed to call him? Just plain Kuno? That sounded like she'd never met him before. Tatewaki? Too intimate, like one of those doting, insipid schoolgirls. No, she liked Kuno-baby best, her own personal nickname for him.

But now she was really curious. Nabiki flipped through the pages. What else had he written about her? His fancy handwriting always seemed just a little darker whenever he wrote her name, as though the mere thought of her caused him to press down extra hard with his pen. He left several little snide comments tucked between rants about girls, kendo, and just how magnificent he was. But Nabiki had to go down another month before she found another juicy paragraph about her.

_How is it that Nabiki Tendo has secured a date before I?_

She smiled. Oh, yeah. She remembered that.

_Granted, there are many lovely maidens competing for my affections, but I, being kind-hearted, am loathe to bestow my dotage on any one in particular and thus break the hearts of all the rest. Be that as it may, Nabiki Tendo has secured a date with an upperclassman and not just any, but the captain of the baseball team. Now how, I must wonder, did she manage that? She is not hideous to look upon, but she is no Venus in her bower. To ensnare such a star among the dross of this school—I cannot fathom it. _

Really, it shouldn't have come as such a surprise. If he'd been paying any attention to her during their final days of junior high, he might have noticed that she'd been perfecting her flirtation techniques. The trick was to appear interested, but not too interested; to lure them in, but keep them at arms-length. Oddly enough, though, all of her tricks fell flat on Kuno. She couldn't say a single nice thing to him without him misconstruing it as an insult.

Nabiki turned the page.

_I am not surprised that this courtship did not last, for it was quite uneven from the beginning. The captain of the baseball team is an honorable man, while Nabiki is cunning and crafty. It was only a matter of time before he came to his senses. What does surprise me is that, if the rumors are to be believed, she has broken up with him. I would think it inconceivable, except that she is quite cheerful, saying with a little shrug that some things just don't work out. In the meantime, the captain of the baseball team has been very upset and skipped practice, from what I hear. Frankly, it is puzzling._

A bad break-up that one. Nabiki pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Had she ever had a good break-up? No, not really. Most guys didn't like discovering they were being used. Then again, most guys didn't have a problem using her, either. They saw her as a good-looking girl, a prize they could hang off their coats and show off to their friends. Fine with her. But didn't they know that prizes cost money?

And Kuno was just as bad as the rest of them. Every week, he walked to class with a new girl at his side. They were all the same, too: pretty, doe-eyed, and simpering. It annoyed the hell out of Nabiki. None of those girls so much as asked him to pay for their lunch, even though Kuno could certainly afford it. No, they were the sort of girls content to bathe in his radiance, utterly in awe of this handsome new freshman who was so skilled at martial arts and so good with words. Poor little idiots. Kuno didn't even bother to write their names in his diary. Instead, he seemed much more interested in Nabiki's dating life.

In May, he wrote:

_Nabiki Tendo has the most atrocious choice in men. All the upperclassmen groveling at her feet, and she plucked up some quiet and obscure freshmen to be her boyfriend. He has absolutely no note-worthy qualities, other than the propensity for very publicly showering her with gifts. I'm not surprised it ended badly. This time, Nabiki's newest ex-suitor has yet to come back to school. It is as though the shame is too great for him to bear. I must wonder: what exactly has she done to him?_

In June:

_Why is it that, with each subsequent conquest, Nabiki Tendo's reputation seems only to grow? This makes three men who have fallen at her feet. None of them have yet to recover from their heartbreak, nor will say anything about what happen. Truly, Nabiki Tendo is a cruel-hearted maiden. Why she, of all people, sends men into a mad frenzy, is a complete mystery to me. Although, I must admit, there is a certain danger about dating Nabiki Tendo that makes her alluring. Only the boldest of men dare try. I, myself, would not shirk to date her, if she were not my foresworn enemy. _

In July:

_I happened to pass by the café where Nabiki Tendo and her current suitor—a boy from a different school—partook of their date. I was startled by the transformation that came over her. Nabiki has always struck me as teasing and impudent, but here, these qualities changed—her teasing turned to flirtation, her impudence to seduction. I did not realize that Nabiki Tendo possessed such traits, traits which, I shall admit, set my heart pounding and my blood racing. Indeed, I wonder how little I truly know about her. Perhaps, I would do well to find out._

It had been so easy to make herself the center of attention, to make every boy in Furinkan want her. Easy—and boring. Nabiki leaned her head against her hand. She didn't expect love. But she thought someone might try to resist her. Boys only saw what they wanted to see. They didn't see who she was. If they had, she couldn't have fooled them in a million years.

Absently, she flipped the page.

_All these years, I have waited and soon the moment will arrive. Tomorrow, Nabiki Tendo will look me in the eye and admit that I am not the same gawky boy she made fun of in junior high. It will make my victory all the sweeter._

Nabiki frowned. What on earth was he talking about now?

_Today, I fought my way into the finals of the Furinkan City-Wide Kendo Tournament. _

Oh right. There had been a huge martial arts tournament taking place on the beach that summer. Akane had competed at the junior high level, and Nabiki had gone to cheer her on. Of course, Akane's tournament had been on the other side of the beach. The only reason Nabiki happened to see Kuno at all was because the vendors near the kendo tournament sold soda for five yen cheaper.

Still, Kuno had been impressive. Gotten her to stop and watch.

_The competition was almost disappointing. Men older than I, but lesser by far, fell to the might of my sword. Maidens cheered my name. I turned to acknowledge them—and there stood Nabiki Tendo, sipping on a soda, eyes filled with curiosity. What had brought her there, I could not say. Perhaps, she came only to mock me. But what flaw could she find? There was none. It was my last match of the day, and I swung with such gusto that my opponent fell like a rag doll thrown onto the floor._

And for once, Kuno wasn't exaggerating. It was the first time Nabiki had actually seen armor peel off like paint.

_I shall never forget how her eyes widened, how she looked at me then with newfound admiration. Nor will I forget the words she spoke when I approached her, uttered for once with perfect sincerity. "You've gotten good, Kuno-baby."_

She'd been surprised how good. Nabiki knew he practiced. A lot. She'd seen him every day in junior high at a park near their house, beating a stubborn oak tree until he was drenched in sweat. His screams scared stray cats and children. Kuno looked so angry back then. Not that she could blame him, what with his mom leaving the family, his dad taking off to Hawaii, and everyone in school teasing him. No wonder he felt the need to beat up inanimate objects with a stick.

But at this tournament, Kuno seemed different. Almost... happy. Nabiki came to his championship round, just to watch him fight. When Kuno saw her in the crowd again, he smiled and straightened up. After each victory, his eyes searched her out, eagerly, as though to say, _Look, look, did you see that, did you see?_ When the last opponent crashed to the ground and the crowd cheered, Kuno beamed like a thousand flashing light bulbs. He was so proud.

Nabiki shook her head. She could only imagine the praises he'd heap upon himself in his diary entry for the day.

_To see my name inscribed upon an empty golden cup gives me no pleasure. What means a trophy, what means a title, what means honor and glory, if I am to be ever spited by the one person whose respect I cannot gain? How can she yet deny me? What more would she have of me? For what reason am I even now worth so little in the eyes of Nabiki Tendo?_

Nabiki blinked. What had she done to upset him this time? She'd been nice to him, or so she thought. At any rate, she'd admired his shiny trophy and listened to him rant about how he was the rising star of Furinkan High. And afterwards, when the ceremony ended and the crowds dispersed, she let him buy her a soda and walk her down the beach at sunset.

_I had never thought Nabiki to be beautiful until that moment. Perhaps, it was just the reflecting light of the sunset, the splash of orange upon her skin. Or maybe the way the salt-scented wind blew her hair in wisps across her eyes, tangling around her ears. My intentions up until then were simply to force a confession from her: that I was indeed a fine specimen of a young man. But in that bewitching moment, I suddenly wanted more. And so, I made up my mind and very boldly asked Nabiki Tendo for a date. _

_She laughed at me._

Maybe she wouldn't have, if he'd asked her like a normal person, if his exact words hadn't run along the lines of, "Nabiki Tendo, as I am feeling generous today, I will kindly offer you the chance to date with me, a thrilling venture no doubt for such a demur young maiden as yourself." Honestly, how was she supposed to take that seriously?

_Couldn't she be serious this one time? Must she always laugh, and not in a cute, girlish way, but rather as though the prospect of me even asking her was somehow beneath her. But then, pulling a face of mock sobriety, she asked me __why__ I wished to date with her—_

And he had simply stared, as though he didn't understand the question. After several seconds passed, he finally stuttered out, "Well, you are not my ideal—I would not describe you as a traditional Japanese beauty—although in the right lighting, you might be seen as lovely—but not every day, of course—"

_—and I will confess my usual eloquence completely vanished, for I did not expect such a request, and when I suddenly had to think what to compare her with, no words came into my head. For Nabiki is ever-shifting, not in her looks, but in her moods and aspects, and to thus describe her would be to describe the ever-whirling pattern of a kaleidoscope._

So she'd assumed he gotten caught up in the moment and decided to ask her out because she was the first girl he saw. Understandable. But not exactly flattering. Nabiki had her pride, after all. She didn't like the idea of being an afterthought—especially, not to him.

_But that does not justify what she said to me next! "Well, you're rich enough, but really, I think it'd be more trouble than it's worth. So I'll have to pass." _

She wasn't going to announce her true feelings. That just wasn't her style. But she didn't want to hurt him either, so she'd kept it light and brief and casual—he'd shrug it off without a bruise to his ego.

_She could not have struck me deeper if she had taken my own sword and run me through with it. I would have preferred that—then, at least, I would have known the depth of her hatred for me and felt some satisfaction in that. But to be simply brushed aside… like sand off her jacket. So little… Am I worth so little to her after all that? Rich? And troublesome? And what of the rest of me? After four years, does she still not see… anything else? _


	3. Intermission

**The Freshman Diary of Tatewaki Kuno**

By **Red Dragonfly**, aka **Rebecca Lang**

**. . .**

Part 2

**Intermission**

**. . .**

**. . .**

Someone knocked on the door.

Nabiki slammed the diary shut and flung it under her pillow.

"What?"

"Nabiki?" Kasumi's voice came through the door. "I brought some tea and cookies to help you with your studies."

"Oh… right." Nabiki hopped off the bed and flipped open her English book. "Yeah, come in."

Kasumi opened the door and cheerfully placed a tray of goodies on Nabiki's desk.

"So how is studying going?" She glanced at Nabiki's blank notebooks. "You don't seem to be making much progress."

"Well, I'll get to it eventually."

"College entrance exams are coming up," Kasumi reminded her gently.

"Not for another 8 months." Then, changing the subject, Nabiki added, "Ranma and Akane aren't back yet, are they?"

"Actually, Akane just called and said not to expect them home for dinner. Their trip has been extended. She didn't say why."

"Well, you know them; it's a fight, a kidnapping, a magic spell, or an impromptu visit to China."

"I did hear a crash, right before the phone line went dead," Kasumi said.

Nabiki shook her head. "It never changes with those two. I thought once they got together, they'd start putting their energy into something more productive... like running the dojo. Or maybe getting a job."

"Well, they're still young, after all," Kasumi said. "You can't expect them to settle down right away. It took them so long to admit their feelings to one another, and they still have a lot to learn. Give them some time."

Nabiki rolled her eyes. "They've already had a year spending every waking moment in each other's company. Honestly, what's left to find out?"

Kasumi just smiled.

Nabiki felt a chill creep up her spine. That smile was a little too knowing. Ironic, almost. It confirmed what Nabiki had long suspected: that beneath her older sister's fluffy appearance and mild remarks lay a whirling, perceptive mind. Kasumi knew a lot more than she let on.

Instinctively, Nabiki glanced at her bed. The pillows were heaped against the headboard in their usual messy stack. Not a sign of Kuno's diary—not a lump under the pillow or a red corner peeking out. There was no way Kasumi could know what she was up to.

Right?

Nabiki stretched. "Well," she said shortly. "Better get back to studying."

"That would be for the best," Kasumi said, with a nod. "Especially since you still have to prepare for your entrance exams."

Nabiki groaned. Yeah, like she wanted to think about that.

For the sake of show, Nabiki sat at her desk and gazed into her English book, until she heard the sound of the door shutting. Then, she leaned back in her chair and reached out with her arm. Nabiki's hand found its way under the pillows; she pushed them aside, until her fingers touched the pliable plastic of the cover. Nabiki grabbed Kuno's diary and pulled it onto her desk.

The happy sun and oblivious tulips blinked back at her. Nabiki frowned. There was really no point in reading it. She knew Tatewaki Kuno better than he knew himself, so nothing in his diary could possibly surprise her. And yet, somehow she still felt drawn to his words. Her fingers drummed the cover impatiently, making the same patter-patter as the rain hitting the roof.

Was she really just procrastinating? Maybe.

Or maybe not. Nabiki picked up the diary.

She'd lost her page. Last she'd read it was summer, so she must be about midway through. Nabiki opened Kuno's diary to a random spot in the middle of the book. Her eyes darted over the clean, flowing calligraphy that swooped through the page.


	4. Fall and Winter

**The Freshman Diary of Tatewaki Kuno**

By **Red Dragonfly**, aka **Rebecca Lang**

**. . .**

Part 3

**Fall and Winter**

**. . .**

**. . .**

_If you are reading this, know that you are my true love._

Nabiki nearly dropped the diary back onto her desk.

_Are you surprised that I address you so directly? Ah, but you need not be, for though we have never before met, I have thought about you these long days. That first spark as our eyes meet. The blush of your cheek as I bespeak the passions of my heart. The touch of your hand, and the joy on your face; our first date and our first kiss. It is inevitable that we must also exchange diaries, and so as you read this, know, my love, that even now, across whatever chasm of time and space, my heart yet belongs to you._

Nabiki checked the date. September 1st. So that explained the drastic change in tone. That autumn Kuno came back to school with a new hobby, a hobby that seemed innocent enough, but quickly grew into a dark obsession that caused his mind to slowly withdraw from reality. In short, he'd discovered poetry.

"_For never-resting time leads summer on_

_"To hideous winter and confounds him there…_

_"But flowers distilled though they with winter meet,_

_"Lease but their show, their substance still lives sweet."_

No one seemed to think much of it. Kuno had always liked to read heroic texts of samurai and their noble deeds. Poetry was just one more aspect of his romantic nature. It made him more popular with the girls, and if the boys thought him strange, they held their tongue. Kuno was lethal with even a wooden sword and not so easy-going about being teased.

Nabiki could get away with it, usually. She knew exactly what to say to get under his skin, and she knew he'd never hurt her back. But he sure did act weird that fall. Every time Nabiki made a remark, Kuno's temper would flare and his eyes would glow; then he'd clamp his mouth into a hard line and turn away. Something was wrong.

Nabiki skimmed the pages of his diary. Did he still write about her? Yes. Her name still speckled the pages. But the way he wrote it had changed. Her name was no longer black and oozing, like he'd pressed down so hard on his pen that the ink blotted together. Instead, the letters were thin and scratchy, almost unnatural. As if he held the pen as far from the paper as he could while still reaching the tip to the page.

_I saw Nabiki Tendo this afternoon. Thinking to practice my swordsmanship, I went to the park and there chanced to spy her sitting on a swing and paging through a magazine. She startled at my presence and for a moment looked up to meet me in the eye—but then, without greeting, she turned back to her magazine, as though I were a stranger or perhaps some boy from school she spoke to from time to time but thought nothing of. She is cold. A few flakes of snow can be charming, but a blizzard can kill. And so, my love, I have decided that you will be quite different from her: warm, burning with fire, fierce, passionate. My love, _

_"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? _

_"Thou art more lovely and more temperate:_

_"Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, _

_"And summer's lease hath all too short a date…_

_"But thy eternal summer shall not fade…"_

_I do not think I shall return to that park again. It is a place full of the ghosts of old memories, and I shall put them behind me. It is not good to linger on what I once was. Should a butterfly think of its life as a caterpillar? No. From now on I shall think only of my glorious future, with you, my nameless love. _

He hadn't come back.

Nabiki remembered that. She remembered waiting by the swings on the weekends with her magazines in hand, expecting to hear his familiar screams as his sword flew toward the battered oak. But all she heard was children giggling. Eventually, she learned he'd taken to practicing exclusively at school or at home. There was no casual way to see him after that. You couldn't just walk up to a guy's practice or into his house without attracting attention.

Not that Nabiki couldn't handle attention. She created plenty of drama for the school to feast upon. Her name was in the scandal pages of the class newspaper daily. By now, most the guys had caught on to her methods. Didn't matter. She could still hook them when she wanted to. And if she chose to get her money in different ways—say, blackmail—the school had nothing to complain about. Nabiki was still a rich source of entertainment.

But some things were none of their business.

_It's now been brought to light that Nabiki Tendo is of the most vile and reprehensible character, that she schemes for money and cracks men's hearts open like eggs. This I knew long ago. Indeed it amazes me how long it took everyone else to see the truth. Now, the men she dated declare her nothing more than a seductress, their interest in her long gone. What a weak sort of love they profess, here one day and gone the next. I have no stomach for it. What do boys such as them know of matters of the heart? For, as it is said, _

_"…Love is not love_

_"Which alters when it alteration finds,_

_"Or bends with the remover to remove:_

_"O no! it is an ever-fixed mark_

_"That looks on tempests and is never shaken…_

_"Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,_

_"But bears it out even to the edge of doom."_

_I have decided, my love, that I shall know you to be my love as soon as I see you: for if it were not so, it would not be true love. Love that doubts or waivers with uncertainty is merely infatuation, easily gained, easily dismissed. But true love, as ours shall be, is eternal. And so fear not, for once I meet you and know you to be mine, I shall never give in or allow anything to come between us. My beloved, know that once I have you, I shall never let you go._

Nabiki flipped through the months. September, October, November. All the same poetic nonsense. And it wasn't as though he kept his obsession locked inside. Kuno openly spouted soliloquies about how his love's "bright eyes feed'st thy light's flame" and how she was "thy sweet self too cruel." His girlfriends decreased dramatically once they realized he wasn't talking about them.

Suddenly, everyone in school wanted to know about this mystery girl who'd stolen Kuno's heart away. He refused to tell anyone her name, and speculation ran wild. Was she a summer romance who lived in a different prefecture? Maybe she was a famous actress who made Kuno swear to keep her identity a secret. No, she was a princess from another country, a foreign beauty trapped in a loveless engagement who even now wrote Kuno letters, begging him to rescue her.

The hype was just so ridiculous.

_That Nabiki Tendo openly mocks our love comes as no surprise to me. Envy flows through her veins like a poison. Today, at our school's culture festival, I won match after match against all manner of martial artists, scattering my opponents like breadcrumbs. Then, taking the stage, I dedicated my victory to you, my love. As I praised your beauty, grace, and wit, who should interrupt, but her? _

_"Impressive words, Kuno-baby. You'll have the whole school in love with this girl at this rate." Nabiki stood at the end of the stair with her arms crossed, a leer upon her impertinent face._

Yeah, she'd told him off. It was about time someone did. The rest of the students in the crowd stepped back, so that she had a clear view. Kuno's sword leaned rigid in the crook of his arm, and the heat of his battle aura swelled through the November air. But so what? He didn't intimidate her. Nabiki was an unarmed girl, after all. He couldn't hit her. So he'd just have to listen to what she said.

"What do all these pretty words of yours actually tell us? No one even knows what this mystery girl looks like. I bet she's just an ordinary girl, and you're getting everybody worked up over nothing."

That put a fire in his eyes.

"You dare speak of my love like that! Her beauty cannot be compared!"

"Let me guess. She has the face of the moon, and the eyes of the sun. Please." Nabiki tossed her head, sending her hair flying. "You could be describing any girl here. Even me."

Kuno glared.

"My love," he said icily, "has long hair."

_Think not of these cruel words she has uttered, for what is Nabiki Tendo, but a cold-hearted villain, a temptress of lesser men? She is not like you and I. We share the same heart—a heart that values courage and honor and nobility—a warrior's heart. Yes. You are my Diana, fair goddess of the hunt, as pure as you are fierce. You are nothing like Nabiki._

The thing was, the more Kuno boasted of his pure-hearted warrior maiden, the more worried Nabiki became. No girl on the planet could possibly be as wonderful as he made her out to be. Which either meant that Kuno was so head over heels in love with this girl that he was blind to her faults—or there was no girl.

Nabiki suspected—but she needed proof. Fortunately, that winter break, they got assigned as partners for a class project. Nabiki had just bought a new camera. All she needed to do was find his diary—she knew he kept one—and snap a few juicy pictures. His own writing would convict him.

_What a curse to have Nabiki Tendo as a partner. She insists her home has no suitable place to study, forcing me instead to open my abode to her. Were it any other maiden, I would be more trusting. But I know of Nabiki's evil intent. Day by day, she grows more jealous of you, my fair love. Never fear, though, for I will protect you from her wicked schemes. I shall keep this diary close to my chest, and her plans to expose you shall come to naught._

Leave it to Kuno to make things complicated. Oh well. Nabiki didn't need his diary. She had another plan. While Kuno was off fetching her a glass of water, Nabiki snuck into his room and found all the evidence she needed.

Unfortunately, by the time she developed the pictures, winter break was over. And then, Kuno had non-stop kendo practice. He was preparing to take over leadership of the club and training for a tournament. She hardly even saw him in class anymore. Nabiki had to wait until the second week of February when classes were canceled so that the graduating junior high school students could use Furinkan's rooms to take their high school entrance exams. Kuno would be free for sure. At the end of their last homeroom before the break, Nabiki passed him a note and watched his eyes grow wide.

_'Meet me at the cafe by my house at 10AM on February 13th. I have something to tell you that I think you'll be very interested in.' What means this note Nabiki hath handed to me? Could this be a date? Perhaps, she now sees how desirable I am and is desperate to steal my heart. How can I not take pity on her? My love, please do not be offended. My heart yet belongs to you. I shall tell Nabiki Tendo up front that I can never be her boyfriend._

Kuno wore cologne and brought flowers to the cafe. If that was his way of saying he wasn't interested, it was no wonder all the weak-willed girls he flirted with still thought they stood a chance. Not that Nabiki had any illusions of having a good time. This was strictly business. She was here to break his heart.

"So," Nabiki said, sipping on her coffee, "I take it your girlfriend doesn't mind you being here with me?"

"My love is very open-minded." Kuno took large swallows of his tea. "She cares only for my happiness."

"A girl who doesn't get jealous. Sounds too good to be true. In fact, everything about this girl sounds too good to be true."

"My love is a jewel among pebbles."

"Your love doesn't exist."

"What means this accusation, Nabiki Tendo? Of course, she exists."

"I have photos that say otherwise." Nabiki set an envelope on the table. "Go ahead and have a look, Kuno-baby."

She stirred her coffee. Kuno picked up the envelope and plucked the photographs out one by one. He stared at the pictures. Then at her. Then at the pictures again. Kuno tilted his head.

"These appear to be photographs of my bedroom."

"Exactly," Nabiki said.

"And what, pray tell, do blank walls have to do with the existence of my love?"

"If you really loved this girl and she loved you back, you'd have a picture of her. But you don't. Not on your walls, your desk, or your end table." Nabiki tapped each picture in turn. "Not a single photograph. Face it, Kuno-baby, your true love isn't real. She's a figment of your imagination."

For a moment, Kuno stared at her, so small and confused, Nabiki felt like a bully who'd broken his favorite toy. He bent down, almost to the table, and looked at the photos again. Some sort of struggle seemed to take place on his face. His eyes flicked back and forth over the pictures, his expression growing darker by the second.

"Deny that thou bear'st love to any, who for thyself art so unprovident..." Kuno crumpled the photographs in his fist. "You know nothing of love, Nabiki Tendo."

"Maybe not," she said. "But I know plenty about reputations. Right now people in this school still look up to you. Girls want to date you, and guys want to be your friend. But all that will change if they find out that you've spent the last six months in love with your imaginary friend. You'll be the laughingstock of the school. Again."

Nabiki had to be harsh. Subtlety got you nowhere with Kuno. You had to bash him over the head with truth for him to get it. And even then, half the time, he still misunderstood. She was trying to help him.

Why was it so hard for him to believe?

"You surprise me, Nabiki Tendo," Kuno said. "I had heard you were underhanded. But this is an unworthy scheme, even for you. To blackmail me, like this."

"Don't think of it as blackmail. Think of this as a reality check."

"And how much will this cost me?"

"Nothing you can't afford. I'll even throw in a discount, seeing that we're old friends."

Kuno laughed, a dark and bitter sound.

"Friends?" he said. "You think we are friends? We are two people who, as unlucky fate would have it, happen to share a classroom. That is all. You mean nothing to me, Nabiki Tendo. Less than the sand on my jacket."

Nabiki crossed her arms.

He had no idea how much he hurt her. And he would never know.

"Fine," she said. "No discount. You still need me to repair your reputation."

"That is where you are wrong." Kuno stood up. "I need no help, because my love exists. I shall show her to you. Soon. And when you see us together, you will rue the day you doubted me. Your heart shall twist in anguish, and you will shed bitter tears of regret."

As it turned out, he was half-right.

_February 13th. _

Letters trembled, and black ink spattered across the page.

_At last, my love, I have found you._

Nabiki shut her eyes.

She knew what was coming. She remembered exactly what happened after they'd argued. He went back to school in a huff and she went back home. Had Nabiki known then that Akane was even now sitting in the homeroom class of Furinkan High, taking her entrance exam? Of course she did. Had Nabiki thought anything of it? No. Why should she? Up until that day, Kuno's little warrior maid was just a figure of his superheated imagination.

Nabiki took a deep breath. It was over. She should stop being a coward and just read the damn entry. It didn't matter anymore. She no longer cared that Kuno had fallen in love with her sister. But why, of all people, did it have to be Akane? Was it just bad timing? Or did he really feel something towards her?

_February 13th_

_At last, my love, I have found you. What a relief it is to see your beautiful face and hear the sound of your name on my lips. Aka—but no! Let me not rush this moment, let me draw out the details of our first meeting, savoring it like a sweet red wine or a cream-filled pastry. How chanced it that after such a painful encounter with that unscrupulous blackmailer—I shall not sully these pages with her name—how chanced it that after such misery should come such delight?_

_I recall how I stood near my homeroom class, severing straw dummies with shout after shout. Suddenly, the window opened. Like a beam of sunlight, you appeared. Our eyes met for the first time. Such beautiful eyes, and yet beneath them I sensed the restless energy of a warrior. A shiver went down my spine. You asked demurely whether I might refrain from crying out during your exam. I remember well how your long hair fell over your shoulder, spilling from a crimson ribbon, strands floating in the wind. _

_I know you will forgive my rudeness, my love, but I had to be sure. I refused your request, saying that unless you should defeat me, I would not relent in my practice. It was a test, you see, so that I might know if you truly were the love I was looking for. When you accepted the challenge, my heart flew to my mouth. _

_How graceful your form, how powerful the aura surrounding you. No weapon you took but caught instead my sword bare-handed. And then we whirled and whirled together in passionate combat. So honest, so pure. The sweat on your brow glistened and your cheeks blushed red. You threw me to the ground, and I knew. Only you could be my love, for no other woman could best me in combat as you did. _

_"Pray, tell me who you are," I begged._

_You replied. Such a lovely name. So close to mine enemy's and yet so different. I shall write it down a thousand times and sing it to the heavens. I will shout it for all the school to hear. My love has a name, and that name is—_

"Nabiki Tendo!"

The door burst open with a bang. Tatewaki Kuno thundered into her room, a large black book in one hand, an umbrella in the other. The umbrella hadn't done much good. The rain soaked through his hair and clothes and dripped onto her rug.

Nabiki lowered the book. "What are you doing here? I thought you had kendo practice this afternoon."

"And how was I to train," Kuno replied, "whilst knowing that you wrongly possessed my freshman diary?"

He pointed his umbrella accusingly at the little red notebook.

"Do you want it back?" Nabiki said. "I'm nearly finished."

Kuno blinked. "You read it?"

"Did you think I wouldn't?" Nabiki smiled. "After your whole big speech about how true relationships are based on shared intimacies and how people who are dating ought to know each other's thoughts."

"I was mistaken."

"Were you?"

"I never meant to give you _that_ diary. That one is… embarrassing."

Nabiki shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. I found it interesting. But if you want it back, you can have it."

"Thank you." Kuno looked relieved. "By the way, I finished yours."

He handed her back her black book of sales accounts.

"How was it?" Nabiki asked.

"I don't wish to offend you, but it was rather hard to get into. At times, it seemed like I was reading little more than numbers."

:)

THE END

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**Author's Note:**

Thanks to 10x0r for looking over this story. Twice! Your comments helped me clear up confusion in the earlier drafts and write what I hope is a much clearer piece.

All poetic quotes come courtesy of Shakespeare's sonnets. "For never-resting time leads summer on…" is from Sonnet 5, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" is from Sonnet 18, and "…Love is not love, which alters when it alteration finds…" is from Sonnet 116. That last one is grossly misconstrued by Kuno, I might add. "Bright eyes" and "sweet self" are both from Sonnet 1, and "...Deny that thou bear'st love..." is from Sonnet 10.

By the way, I am no way insinuating that there is any link between poetry and delusions. For the vast majority of people, poetry is quite safe to read.

In Japan, the school year begins in April and concludes in March. High school entrance exams are taken in February (or maybe March; my memory's getting fuzzy) at the high school the junior high students hope to enter. During the testing all the current high school students are dismissed. They don't have to come to school.

This is meant to be a sequel/ prequel to "I Want a Refund!" At the very least, the stories should exist together harmoniously. Sorry that it took so long to write something. After I left my teaching job in Japan, I became busy writing my fantasy novel, which I'm hoping to finish up this summer or fall.


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